Second Temple Jewish Scriptures — Scriptural Collections

Psalms and Other Sacred Writings in Use

c. 300-100 BC
A Visit With Jesus

Psalms, wisdom books, and other sacred writings were copied, prayed, taught, and preserved among Jewish communities.

Full Account

The Psalms supplied Israel's worship with inspired prayers and songs. Proverbs and other wisdom writings instructed God's people in faithful living, while books such as Daniel, Chronicles, Ezra-Nehemiah, and the Five Scrolls preserved prophecy, history, and worship.

The boundaries and arrangement of this third division are less explicitly documented than those of the Torah. Its books, however, were not simply created by a late council; manuscripts and early references demonstrate their prior use and authority.

Historical Significance

These books completed the threefold pattern later known as the Law, the Prophets, and the Writings.

People, Places and Sources